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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · chair · pit · current · hide · nail · stick · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com